‘Today, there are so many different ad formats and opportunities to connect with customers,’ said Mona Parmar, Head of Client Services UK at Adglow. So before diving headfirst into Snapchat, she explained, brands need to define their main objectives and align them with what’s available on the Snap platform.
For example, if your goal is to increase brand awareness, you’ll want to drive views. That means creating compelling content that showcases your brand while entertaining your audience.
But if you’re looking for direct response, you’ll need to include a convincing call to action. This is how advertisers at gaming app Bubble Witch managed to successfully drive installs. Rather than simply telling users to install their app, they invited them to give the game a try first—without ever leaving Snapchat.
Advertisers can also choose from Snapchat’s over 3,000 lifestyle categories based on in-app user behaviour. For example, if someone follows Arsenal and frequently watches the team’s highlight reels, he’ll be categorised as a football fan.
Brands can also gain even greater insight into users thanks to location data. A user that regularly opens her app at the cinema, for instance, is probably a film-lover.
Advertisers can make sure they’re making the best use of their audience data by conducting A/B tests for each of their campaigns.
Gatordade's 'Serena Match Point' video game is one example of an attention-grabbing Snapchat ad. By giving users the chance to play Serena Williams in a Grand Slam victory, Gatorade kept users entertained and engaged- and saw an impressive 14.5 percent swipe up rate. Similarly, Taco Bell's Cinco de Mayo ad filter - which turned users' faces into giant tacos- boasted over 224 million views.
When branded content is imaginative and playful, it will encourage users to swipe, snap and share with friends.
‘Allow the campaign to run for a period of three days from launch,’ Parmar told the audience. That way, you’ll have enough data to assess its performance and start making decisions about what to do next.
Advertisers can also use location data to see if their ads are effectively driving footfall. Gillespie explained that KFC, for instance, used location data to determine how many users exposed to a branded filter actually went into a KFC. What they found was a 20 to 30 perfect uplift in store visits.
As Snap Inc. continues to push the boundaries of imaginative social content, Adglow is helping brands navigate this exciting new landscape. ‘The Adglow team has been amazing,’ said Gillespie. ‘The way they structure campaigns, adding first-party data and scaling them, has been really impressive to us.’